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Enlarging the EU and getting on with the neigbours - Membership conditions

4 important questions on Enlarging the EU and getting on with the neigbours - Membership conditions

When can a country join the EU?

Any European county that fulfills the democratic, political and economic criteria for membership.

Lisbon Treat (Article 49): When the state can respect the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.

What do the Copenhagen criteria entail?

New members must have:

stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection minorities.
a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union.
the ability to take on obligations of memberships, including support for the aims of the Union. They must have a public administration capable of applying and managing EU laws in practice.

What does the process of becoming an EU Member State entail?

Accession negotiation (membership talks between candidate country and the European Commission).
Existing Member States meet in the Council.
The European Parliament must give its assent (which means an absolute majority of its members).
The accession treat must then be ratified by the Member States and the candidate country.

What else does the EU do for the candidate country during the negotiation period?

Provide pre-accession financial aid, to help catch up economically.
Stabilization and association agreements, the EU directly monitors the economic and administrative reforms the candidate country to have to carry out in order to meet the conditions for EU membership.